


Puppies Into Men

by poisontaster



Series: Dogs of War [1]
Category: Dark Angel
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-03-26
Updated: 2008-03-26
Packaged: 2018-02-14 07:08:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,356
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2182530
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/poisontaster/pseuds/poisontaster
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Alec's been quiet.  Too quiet.  And Max needs to find out why.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Puppies Into Men

  
See, totally aside from the whack job that Manticore did on her DNA, Max knows that she's one smart cookie. You just have to be, living out on the real. Don't get her wrong, Manticore had the whole psychological torture fuck-you-up-for-life thing down, but sometimes that don't even seem to be that big a deal compared to getting through just another day in Terminal City.

Alec doesn't make that any easier, that's for sure. It's like his personal mission in life to make things as hard on Max as he possibly can and like any X-series, the boy is good at what he does. Must be nice.

So when several days go by in a blissful absence of Alec-related drama, at first, Max doesn't notice, because she's got plenty of other crap on her mind to worry about. And then, maybe, also because she's soaking up the relative quiet without Alec's drama and Alec's jabbering and messing up _her_ life while there's work to be done.

But. Like she said, Max is no dummy. So after a while, she trips on the fact that _it's **too** quiet_. Warning vibes going off in her mind, worrying like when she was still trying to scrub her barcode off, and the skin kept growing back all itchy as the 'ink' filled in.

That's when she starts looking.

The thing is, Alec doesn't seem to be doing anything special. Don't even seem to be around as much, flying under her radar. And she just knows that can't mean anything good. Oh, when they're face to face and she's telling him what for, _then_ yeah, he'll crack wise. 'Cause, you know, Alec would have to be bleeding out his eyeballs to miss a chance to say something smart. But at the same time…she's feeling like his heart's just not in it. Not that _she_ ever enjoyed their verbal tete-a-tetes, you understand, but there used to be this satisfied smirky gleam in Alec's eyes when he thought he was getting one over on her and…it's just not there now. And Max wants to know why.

Logan's not much help, when she brings it up.

"Are you _actually complaining_ that Alec's _not_ being a pain in your ass for once?" he asks, giving her that _are you serious?_ look that is sometimes really cute but today is just working her last nerve.

"No! I just… He's all…" Max waves her hands, trying to pull together all the different bits, the things that don't fit into words and that she's never had to explain to the other transgenics, because they get it too. "Different."

Logan sighs. Which, is _so unfair_ , because she's busting her hump to be a leader and show some responsibility and the least he could do is be a little supportive about this, especially since he's been pushing her to think all globally and crap for, like… _ever._

"Different how?"

"I don't know how. If I knew how, you think I'd be talking to you about it?" Max huffs her own sigh and perches on the edge of his desk, because she knows it bugs him when she sits on his all-important work. "He just… He's not all in my face. And his jokes are just lame. Well. That's not new. But lamer than usual. And he smells funny."

Just saying that out loud, hearing the words come out of her mouth knocks over some dominos in her mind. Alec _does_ smell funny. Well, Alec always sort of smells funny; he really needs to bathe a lot more, especially between his little trysts…

"And he's not all…flirty."

Logan eyes her over the top of his glasses. It's kind of hot when he's not being an ass. "And this is a problem?"

"Well, it's just not very Alec, is it? I mean, normally, he's kind of… _reeking_ of whoever he's been fucking last. I think he makes a point of not showering, just so I have to put up with it…"

"…and not because there's a water shortage or anything."

Max frowns. "You're being overly logical again."

"My mistake." Logan slams his fist down on the arm of his chair. "That _bastard_! How dare he not come to you stinking of his latest conquests?"

The impulse to ruffle his hair is strong. Max wraps her fingers around her knees instead. "Thanks." She thins her smile at him. "I knew you could get the hang of this."

"So Alec is not bugging you, not fucking everything that moves and…God forbid, he might actually be bathing more. I can see how this is a crisis."

Max opens her mouth to speak and Logan holds up a finger. "But," he says, interrupting what she was about to say, "Let's say for the sake of argument that there is an 'Alec problem' buried somewhere in this model behavior. Let me—and again, for the sake of argument... God, this is a question I'd never thought I'd ask. Nor did I want to know the answer to..." She glares at him and he holds up his hands. "Okay, okay. But for the non-transgenics in the room, what, exactly, _does_ Alec smell like?"

Max opens her mouth a second time. Considers. Closes her mouth. Considers more.

"Joshua," she says finally, frowning. "He smells like Joshua."

In fact, he smells a _lot_ like Joshua.

"Well, they're roommates, more or less, right?" Logan says reasonably, shrugging. And really, she hates that. "I mean, it seems like they're always together these days…"

_...always together..._

Max doesn't know what her face must look like, but Logan trails off and his eyes close, fingers slipping under the rims of his specs to pinch the bridge of his nose. "No," Logan says, though it sounds more like he's asking. "No. No, no, you are not thinking what I think you're thinking."

"I'm not thinking anything," Max lies, crossing her arms defiantly under her breasts. Though, really, she's not sure who she's defying: Logan, or just the thought itself.

Because Jesus on a pogo stick... _ew_.

***

As soon as she thinks it, though, Max knows its true. All that subliminal, instinctual crap that's been tapping at the back of her brain and the nape of her neck all this time… Little gestures, weird-funny looks. The quiet way that Joshua can now say "Alec," and how Alec looks all sheepish and embarrassed when Joshua does it, backing off. She'd put off Joshua's recent touchiness to a lot of different stuff—lack of sleep, lack of food, the complicated and confusing mess of life in Terminal City, Ames fucking White...but with the clear goggles of hindsight, she can see that each flare of Joshua's temper came at a time when she was busting Alec's chops for something…all totally warranted, of course, but tell that to Joshua.

Sweet, emotional Joshua.

And that's when Max gets mad.

Because who the hell does Alec think he is, messing around with Joshua's feelings, with _Joshua_ this way? This is just so damn typical. Alec's always following his wang around like he's no better than the cat DNA he's mixed with. Yeah, a real tomcat.

And Joshua. Poor, dopey, Joshua, always following his heart around and never _thinking_ about whether he's going to get his heart broken or whether it's smart to just give pieces of himself away like some drug lord handing out samples. Which…okay, is probably a bad metaphor, but dammit, she's upset!

This has got to stop.

She's gonna _kill_ Alec for this one, no doubt.

***

She doesn't even give Alec the time to wind up to something, especially when it's been so damn hard catching him _sans_ everybody in the freaking world. "I want you to leave Joshua alone."

There are a couple things she sort-of expected from Alec. One is the stupid who-me, manwhore version, complete with the cocky grin she always wants to smack off his face and the careless _what does it matter_ shrug of his shoulders. The other is the equally dumb dance-dance-dance where he tries to weasel his way out from under the blame of whatever mess he's made, going all hard-eyed, sad-faced and playing on his so-much-more-tragic-than-hers Manticore experience. Either of which are total bullshit, but it's not like her expectations weren't based on a certain personal knowledge.

What she totally was _not_ ready for is the way Alec's face slams shut, nobody looking out at her but the doorkeeper, and he just tries to step around her completely. Max takes a step back and flattens her hand on his shoulder. "I mean it, Alec."

Alec shrugs her off, jumps back a couple steps, smiling his _everything's cool_ smile. "Hey, look…Max…"

She points a finger at him. "No. Don't you 'hey, look, Max' me." She lets her hand drop to her hip, canting out to still block his way. "You know, you are such a jerk, you know that? What did Joshua ever do to you?"

"Me—huh?" Now Alec just looks confused, which is not an attractive look on him.

"Joshua's always been a friend to you, Alec. A good friend, and believe me, you don't have that many. So if I were you, I'd think twice about fucking up one of the only good things you've managed to luck your way into. And we both know your track record for loyalty is for shit." She crosses her arms. "I thought about appealing to your better nature…"

"But we both know I don't have one, right?" There's an edge to Alec's tone, more anger than she'd expected, though he spreads his hands to show them empty, show himself harmless and his grin firmly in place.

For a moment, Max doesn't know how to respond to that, surprised by Alec in a way she doesn't like…or even entirely understand.

Fortunately, Alec spares her the decision, muttering, "Message received, Max," before he barrels past her again, spinning her halfway around.

"I mean it!" she calls after him, hollow victory.

***

"No," Joshua says softly.

"Josh—"

"No," he says again, shaking his head to add emphasis. "Not Max's business, who Joshua gettin' busy with."

"Okay, first of all, can you just… _not_ use those words to refer to sex with Alec?" Max shudders. Joshua gives her near-literal puppy dog eyes and Max sighs. "Fine, I'm sorry, but you have to look at it from my point of view…"

Joshua shakes his head again. "No. Max… Max's point of view not important, only Joshua's, only Alec's. Our business, not Max."

"Joshua, you know what Alec's like…"

"Yes. I know what Alec's like. I like what Alec's like." Joshua tilts his head at her. "Sometimes I think Max don't know what Alec's like."

"What's that supposed to mean?" This isn't going at all like it's supposed to. Though Max isn't really sure how she thought it was going to go, other than Joshua would see the light, Alec would get the boot and things would go back to…well, normal.

Normal as things ever get around here, anyway. She would really like some freaking normal.

"Alec… You look at Alec, you see bad little puppy. You look at Joshua, you see big puppy. We're not puppies, Max. We don't need to be smacked on the nose."

"I'm not…that's not what I'm doing. I'm just looking out for you!" And fat little thanks she's getting for it too.

"And who looks out for Alec?" Joshua sounds far too reasonable. Far too _sensible_ about this whole thing.

"Alec doesn't need looking after," she says, stumbling over the words even as they come from her lips. "Alec does just fine looking out for Number One."

"You don't give him credit. Alec works hard for you."

Max's lip curls. "Alec works hard to save his own skin, same as the rest of us."

"After Annie…" Joshua's voice hesitates, breaks a little over the name of the blind girl he'd loves so much and for such a short period of time. "It was hard after Annie. Max knows."

"Yeah, Max knows," Max agrees softly, hopelessly, aware she's being talked around without being able to fight against it. Not even so sure anymore if she should be. It itches, uncomfortable.

"Alec makes it better. Not…not perfect. But better. Lots better. _I'm_ better."

"You're great." She smiles at him, unable to help it. She reaches up and brushes her fingers through his mane of hair, soft and cobwebby. "And that's great, Joshua. Really. But how long do you think this thing with you and Alec…" It's a struggle to not shudder again and it's only because she adores the big guy that she makes the effort. "…can last?"

Joshua huffs, not quite a laugh. "How long you think any of this can last, Max? No promises. No always. Just today. Always just today. Today, me and Alec."

Max almost asks _and is that enough?_ but she knows the answer. Of course she does. Isn't that what keeps her and Logan circling around each other like binary stars? Instead: "And what does Lo— What does Alec get out of this?"

Joshua wrinkles his face at her: _you really don't get it?_ "Alec's mine," Joshua says, as if it's self-evident. And maybe to him, it is. "Alec gets what he can't get from anybody. What he can't get from Max.."

"And what's that?" Max narrows her eyes.

Joshua spreads his huge, clawed hands. "Love."

Well, that's nothing less than the straight up truth. Max has got to give it to Joshua on that one. Alec is her people and all, but there are limits. And Logan. Alec... God, when did this all get so freaking _complicated_?

Still, the question is there again, right on the tip of her tongue: _and that's enough?_

But for Joshua—and apparently Alec, strangely quiet, strangely satisfied Alec—it sure seems to be.

For now, at least. And Joshua's right; who knows how much longer they have? Any of them?

It's a weird and uncomfortable position for her to be in, but Max thinks…

She thinks she almost envies them.  



End file.
